MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th December 2024, at Dreamscreen Australia Studios

A unique experience of Film Fighting for Actors over a full weekend, culminating in a filmed fight scene. Taught by one of Australia’s most respected Fight Directors, Lyndall Grant: at Melbourne’s exciting Virtual Production Studio, Dreamscreen Australia.

WHAT IS IT?

This is an exciting training event designed for actors: empowering you with the tools to perform fights for screen safely, effectively and with dramatic impact... while spending a weekend with exhilarating action and performance.

Film fights are often the ‘big number scenes’ – climactic and enthralling. However they can risk genuine injury if not handled correctly, and filming them can feel stressful for an actor who hasn’t had experience or training in this kind of work before. On the other hand, well-handled fight shoots with skilled actors can give cast, crew and audience huge satisfaction – and they are opportunities for the actors to really stretch into dynamic and exhilarating performance. For this to happen, training is essential.

While any moment involving significant risk or specialist skills is the realm of Stunt Performers, there are many fight scenes that actor can perform themselves given the right training and abilities. The more training you have under your belt, the safer you are, and the more action you can do. The benefit of this is that the actor can continue portraying the character’s emotional journey throughout the sequence. And, yes another benefit is that it’s also incredibly fun.

This course will give you a solid foundation in performing unarmed combat for camera as an actor – the techniques, the performance, and above all how to keep yourself and those around you safe.

Course Overview

DAY ONE is our Skills Day, where we break down the techniques for fight illusions and explore key elements of fighting for camera, such as working with camera angles, understanding your actions in different frames, finding marks and eye, awareness and control, and handling choreography. Threaded throughout we explore performance strategies for truthful story-telling, and highlight the professional considerations you need to achieve your best work and the smoothest-running set.

DAY TWO is our Shoot Day, where each participant will be part of a filmed Fight Scene. The scenes will be your chance to put the skills you have learned in action, and experience first-hand the physical, mental and emotional elements at play in performing these heightened scenes of conflict.

At the end of the workshop, students will have access to all of their footage for show reel material.

Successfully completing the course will give you the ability to handle standard fight scenes in the film industry; and will provide a foundation for further training for those who would like to advance their practice. You will improve your craft, movement ability and casting options; and spend a whole weekend with a group of like-minded creatives having a really good time.

WHEN AND WHERE IS IT?

Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th December, 2024
9:30am to 6:30pm
DREAMSCREEN AUSTRALIA: 77 Willandra Drive, Epping, 3076

WHO IS IT FOR?

This workshop is designed for actors – from those who would like to attain skills for their own repertoire and casting range, to those who are keen to specialise in fight action.

We also welcome stunt performers and those training towards stunt accreditation, however please note that this course does not give you specific stunt accreditation other than supporting your general body control and movement elements.

Crew and creatives are also most heartily welcome, if they’d like to gain an understanding of the work from an actor’s perspective!

Captivate actively supports diverse and equitable work- and learning-spaces. We also fiercely protect safe work- and learning-spaces for all of our participants. If you have any concerns or questions please get in touch with us.

DO I NEED ANY EXPERIENCE?

The course will cater to all levels of experience, from absolute beginners to seasoned performers – there will be something for you to take on at each stage of your training.  We also cater to all levels of physical fitness and abilities – although of course the fitter you are, the more you can throw yourself into the work!

HOW MUCH IS IT?

COURSE FEES:

EARL BIRD: $635 (register and finalise payment by 15th October 2024)

CONCESSION: $655

STANDARD: $695

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A deposit of at least 50% of your course fee is required to register your place. Places are confirmed only on completion of full payment, which we ask to finalise now later than two weeks prior to the workshop.

We accept online transfer, PayPal (3% additional fee) or Square Online (2.2% additional fee) payments, so let us know what is the easiest method of payment for you. Payment details are provided on the Course Registration form, and on email info sent out after registration.

Students will be given access to their usable takes from the day, which they can use for their own reels and/or casting material. Students also have the option to ask Captivate Action or one of our associates to create a fight reel for you as a separate arrangement to the workshop itself (additional costs apply).

HOW DO I JOIN IN?

Bookings are now open! Spots are very competitive as we have strict capacity limits and this course will sell out quickly, so register early to save your spot and get the Early Bird price. Just fill out the online registration form, and we will reply with your registration confirmation and payment confirmation.

SIGN ME UP

Make sure you get a confirmation that your registration form has gone through as soon as you SUBMIT. If you do not hear from us within 48 hours, check your junk mail, and then send us an email.

Your registration is complete on receipt of your deposit, and your spot is confirmed on finalisation of all course fees. Payment details are provided on the Course Registration Form.

COVID-Safe Learning

The health and safety of our students, tutors, venue staff, all of our family and friends, and the wider community is absolutely vital. Captivate is dedicated to running this course strictly within the most up-to-date Government-advised COVID-Safe guidelines. This includes requiring that all participants at the workshop have full and up-to-date vaccination against Covid-19.

About your tutor:

Lyndall is a Fight Director, Movement Director, actor and Motion Capture Specialist who works in Australia and Internationally for stage and screen.  She is a senior teacher and Management Committee member for the Society of Australian Fight Directors, and certified Dramatic Combat teacher with the British Academy of Dramatic Combat.  Lyndall currently teaches Stage Combat at the Victorian College of the Arts (The University of Melbourne) and 16th Street Actors Studio.  Lyndall trained as an actor as London’s ArtsEd School of Acting, before specialising in fight performance and physical performance.  She began working as a fight director in London in 2010. In 2013 Lyndall established Captivate Action Ltd. in the U.K., as the first company to specialise in training and performance in action and Motion Capture, and brought this company home to Australia in 2015.  Lyndall was an actor and Movement Captain in Melbourne’s production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child from its opening in 2019 until 2022.

Recent fight/movement directing credits include:  Rusalka (West Australian Opera); Beauty and the Beast (Disney Australia); Cruel Intentions the Musical (DVE); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Groundhog Day the Musical, Sunset Boulevard, 2:22 A Ghost Story, An American in Paris (GWB); Topdog/Underdog, The Almighty Sometimes, 37, A Very Jewish Christmas Carol, My Sister Jill, Sunday, As You Like It, Berlin, The Lifespan of a Fact, Torch the Place, Cosi, Storm Boy, The Violent Outburst that Lead Me To you, The Architect, The Lady in the Van, Hungry Ghosts, Vivid White, Macbeth, Minnie and Liraz, Melbourne Talam, Lillith the Jungle Girl, Straight White Men (Melbourne Theatre Company); Nosferatu, Atlantis, The Return, Looking for Alibrandi, Because the Night, Cloudstreet (Malthouse Theatre); Il Viaggio a Reims (Opera Australia); Milked, True West, Punk Rock (45 Downstairs); No Exemptions (Shift Theatre); Alice in Winterland, The Wind in the Willow, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (Rose Theatre Kingston, U.K.); Lohengrin (Melbourne Opera). 

Captivate Action sincerely thanks Dreamscreen Australia for hosting our workshop at their fantastic studio.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Got questions? Get in touch